STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- The Council of Taneshla

"Heh. Yeah, I suppose I can see why that'd be a helpful thing to have..." Rianna comments. "So who is this contact of yours?"

"Lord Geful is currently the leader of a small criminal empire," Tanic eplains. "The Empire of Pity."

You have heard of the Empire of Pity. They cause all sorts of problems but nothing that the Jedi have really focused on. Mostly focus on corruption.

"Ahhh," Rianna simply says. Not someone she's sure she wants to work with, but she's not completely opposed to it like she may have been a few months before.

"I can see why you'd want to avoid the Order, then," she says a moment later.

"Yeah, something like that," Tanic says. "They're not to keen on me at the moment."

You have to wonder what a Jedi doing working for the Empire of Pity, Rianna. They're not nice people.

"I can understand that one..." Rianna says. "How'd you end up with them, though? Not really something I'd picture a Jedi doing..."

"They're under new management. I had a bone to pick with the old management. Lord Geful is not as bad as his predecessor. That's why I backed him."

Sarkley appears a moment later in a simple old landspeeder. He gets out and Tanic takes the wheel. Shortly, you are zooming through the town of Galte, which is quaint and vaguely late 19th century French countryside in architecture. Off in the distance you can see ruins.

Rianna doesn't say anything in response.

She is kind of intrigued by the ruins, though, and asks about them.

"Old castles where the Taneshlan lords used to live," Tanic says as he drives toward the countryside. "Taneshla was kind of late to the game in regards to warfare. When the rest of the Galaxy was blowing each other up with lasers, they still used crossbows. Merchants brought blasters and that was the end of the castles. Most of the Lords are dead. Only a few remain. My patron is probably the only one left with any real power."

"I see," Rianna says, looking out at everything as they drive. "Would explain why everything here is so...old-fashioned, I suppose."

"All very quaint," Tanic says.

The countryside is very breath-taking with its scattered ruined castles. You can see one in the distance that is intact that Tanic points out to you, on the edge of a great forest.

"That one belongs to my contact. He uses it as a guest house, I stay there occasionally to meditate."

You are going along a stone path leading deeper into the countryside. After ascending a large hill, you see that you are overlooking a valley that an elaborate manor has been nestled into. No expense has been spared; an enormous comm array has been painstakingly designed to compliment the manor's conical roofing and towers, rather than marring them.

"Lord Geful's residence," Tanic says, simply.

"Very nice," Rianna comments. "I suppose leading a criminal organization is fairly well-paying."

She is certainly impressed, even if she's more used to cities than countryside, thanks to growing up on Coruscant. At least there are no jungles, she rather dislikes them for some reason.

Indeed, no jungle canopies or urban sprawl for enemies to hide in!

Tanic pulls the speeder up to the manor's parking garage, a spacious area with room for many landspeeders and airspeeders but only holding a private shuttle. As you power down your transport, a man walks out into the garage. This man must not be the Lord of the Manor, for he is wearing rather rough n' tumble combat gear and looks very out of place.

"Slate," Tanic greets with a nod.

"Tanic," the bounty hunter says. "Geful's waiting. Sark called ahead. Who's the lady?"

"An acquaintance of your friend here," Rianna responds.

Sorry, Slate isn't a bounty hunter but a slaver. He is flanked by two vicious looking gunmen.

Slate just looks you over, then turns to Tanic.

"Better get inside," he says. "You know he doesn't like waiting."

"Yeah," Tanic says. "Follow me, Rianna." He steps past Slate and his goons and carries on into the manor.

Rianna looks over Slate and his two gunmen as they walk past, following Tanic inside. Also, she's going to use Sense. As ever 😛

Nothing peculiar sensed.

The manor is, of course, an over-the-top display of wealth. You enter through a hallway inside of which several heads of hunted prey are mounted; you spot a rock wampa amongst them. The hallway emerges into a great room that seems to be the center of the house. Stairs lead off into higher areas, other doors and hallways and such. There is a great banquet table in the center of this room, with a beautiful levitating chandellier floating above it.

Rianna will never really quite understand the point of showing off wealth so openly in such a manner, but she says nothing as they go through the manor. She likes the chandelier though 😛

"Created by the six capable hands of the Xextese monks using Tibanna crystals and native ironwood," says a husky voice from the side of the room. Walking in from another hallway is one of the most handsome men you have ever seen; chiseled jaw, dark hair slicked back, a decent build, and steel gray eyes. He wears casual lounging wear, all in black, embroidered with white.

However, he has not foregone his rapier.

"Welcome to the Lord's Manor, Miss...?" Lord Geful greets and inquires.

"It's quite lovely," she comments, nodding respectfully to him. "Rianna, and thank you for the welcome."

Not exactly what she was expecting, really, and she's going to keep a close eye on him.

"Rianna, a beautiful name," Lord Geful says, offering his hand. "Do I detect a hint of Coruscanti accent?"